Meteorites and shooting stars may be called “stars” (nujoom) and “heavenly bodies” (kawaakib) in Arabic

Question

Regarding ayah 5 in surah mulk where Allah SWT says: And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with stars and have made [from] them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.
Ibn Kathir says in his tafsir that it is referring to meteorites and that they are made from the stars, but we know through science that meteorites have absolutely nothing to do with stars.
I know we shall not judge quran by science since science changes but I feel like this is an excuse. Science cannot tell us 100% if something is right, but it can tell us 100% that something is wrong, for example that the earth is not flat. We know 100% it is not flat, but we cant say that it is round with 100% sureness. So what is the right interpretation on this issue? This is the only argument the kuffar use which I feel is hard to refute.

Answer

Praise
be to Allah

We do not think there is any basis for this doubt or
criticism at all, and we do not believe that it deserves the description
mentioned in the question, that “it is the only argument the kuffar use
which … is hard to refute”, for a simple and clear reason which no two
people will dispute about. That reason is the fact that the Arabic language
uses the word najm (stars) to refer to all heavenly bodies. So a luminous
meteor (shihaab) may be a “najm”, a meteor (nayzak) may be a “najm” and a
planet (kawkab) may be a “najm.”

As for limiting the word “najm” and using it only to refer to
huge heavenly bodies that have fixed locations in the sky, are burning and
emit light by themselves, such as the sun, and using the word “kawkab” to
refer to solid heavenly bodies that are not burning, such as the planets of
the solar system, this is modern astronomical terminology. There is nothing
wrong with adopting and using this terminology, as there is no problem with
the terminology itself, but it is wrong to judge the language of the Holy
Quran by the terminology of later eras. Rather what we must do is understand
the Holy Quran in accordance with the Arabic language, because that is the
language in which the Quran was revealed. Whoever disagrees with that is
like one who understands the word sayyaarah in the verse
“And there came a caravan
of travellers [sayyaarah]; they sent their water-drawer”
[Yoosuf 12:20] as
referring to the vehicle that is known nowadays in which people ride and
travel by mechanical means [sayyaarah in modern Arabic means “car”] then
raises an objection against the Quran by saying that cars were not invented
at the time of Yoosuf (peace be upon him), so how can cars be mentioned
here?!

The response – in both cases – is that it is essential to pay
attention to differences in concepts and terminology, and it is essential to
pay attention to the Arabic language in which the Holy Quran was revealed.
Arabic does not use the word najm specifically to refer to light-emitting
heavenly bodies. Rather, in Arabic, heavenly bodies may be divided into
those that are fixed and those that are moving, those that are light and
those that are dark. All of them may be called nujoom (plural of najm). This
is how the Holy Quran uses the word. In the verse of Soorat al-Mulk
mentioned, nujoom (heavenly bodies) are divided into two types: those that
are lamps which illuminate the heavens, which are the light-emitting stars,
and those that move – this includes luminous meteors (shihaab), meteors (nayzak),
planets (kawkab) and others. The Arabs also call these nujoom.

So there is no scientific error with regard to this matter;
rather it is the matter of variation in meanings and usage.

Hence the pronoun in the verse (interpretation of the
meaning) “and
We have made them (as) missiles to drive away the Shayatin (devils)”
[al-Mulk 67:5] refers to
nujoom and moving heavenly bodies. All heavenly bodies that move are called
nujoom, with no hesitation, in Arabic. Thus there is no scientific problem
in the verse.

There follow the views of some leading scholars of Arabic
language, those who know the language and its usage well.

Al-Faraaheedi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Any of the known planets may be called najm. The word nujoom
includes all the planets.

End quote from al-‘Ayn (6/154)

Ibn Saydah said:

Najm means kawkab.

End quote from al-Muhkam wa’l-Muheet al-A‘zam
(7/469).

Ibn Manzoor said:

The word najm originally referred to any of the kawaakib
(plural of kawkab) of the sky.

End quote from Lisaan al-‘Arab (12/570)

Al-Fayrooazabaadi said:

Najm means kawkab.

End quote from al-Qaamoos al-Muheet (p. 1161)

Az-Zubaydi said:

The words najm and kawkab may be used interchangeably.

End quote from Taaj al-‘Uroos (4/157)

In order to confirm that, we will quote here – after
researching the matter – all the places in which the words najm and kawkab
appear in the Holy Qur’an so as to clearly highlight how synonymous these
two terms are, and that moving astronomical bodies such as luminous meteors
(shihaab) and meteors (nayzak) may also be called najm and kawkab in
Arabic.

“By the star [an-najm] when it
goes down, (or vanishes)”

[an-Najm 53:1]

“By the heaven, and At-Tariq
(the night-comer, i.e. the bright star);

And
what will make you to know what At-Tariq (night-comer) is?

(It is)
the star of piercing brightness [an-najm ath-thaaqib]”

[at-Taariq 86:1-3]

“Verily! We have adorned the
near heaven with the stars [al-kawaakib] (for beauty).

And to
guard against every rebellious devil.

They
cannot listen to the higher group (angels) for they are pelted from every
side.

Outcast, and theirs is a constant (or painful) torment.

Except
such as snatch away something by stealing and they are pursued by a flaming
fire of piercing brightness [shihaabun thaaqib]”

[as-Saaffaat 37:6-10]

“And indeed, We have put the big
stars [burooj] in the heaven and We beautified it for the beholders.

And We
have guarded it (near heaven) from every outcast Shaitan (devil).

Except
him (devil) that gains hearing by stealing, he is pursued by a clear flaming
fire [shihaabun mubeen]”

[al-Hijr
15:16-18]

“And we
have sought to reach the heaven; but found it filled with stern guards and
flaming fires [shuhub].

And
verily, we used to sit there in stations, to (steal) a hearing, but any who
listens now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush [shihaaban
rasada]”

[al-Jinn 72:8-9].

Another example is the report narrated in Saheeh Muslim
(no. 220) from Husayn ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan, who said:
I was with Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr and he said: Who among you saw
the shooting star [al-kawkab alladhi anqadda] last night?

He called it a kawkab, even though it was falling and
moving.

Thus it becomes clear that the shihaab (luminous meteor) and
nayzak (meteor) may also – according to Arabic linguistic convention – be
referred to as kawaakib and nujoom.

But not all kawaakib and nujoom can be called shihaab or
nayzak.

The above is also supported by the following verses which
speak of the stars being the adornment of the heaven, being used for
navigation, and being put at the service of mankind. All of them may be
called nujoom and also kawaakib. These verses include the following:

“and by the stars [bi’n-najm],
they (mankind) guide themselves”

[an-Nahl 16:16]

“It is He Who has set the stars
[an-nujoom] for you, so that you may guide your course with their help
through the darkness of the land and the sea. We have (indeed) explained in
detail Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, Revelations,
etc.) for people who know”

[al-An‘aam 6:97]

“and (He created) the sun, the
moon, the stars [an-nujoom] subjected to His Command”

[al-A‘raaf 7:54]

“And He has subjected to you the
night and the day, the sun and the moon; and the stars [an-nujoom] are
subjected by His Command. Surely, in this are proofs for people who
understand”

[an-Nahl 16:12]

“See you not that to Allah
prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the
sun, and the moon, and the stars [an-nujoom], and the mountains, and the
trees, and Ad-Dawab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.), and many of
mankind? But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And
whomsoever Allah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily! Allah does what He
wills”

[al-Hajj 22:18]

“Then he cast a glance at the
stars [an-nujoom]”

[as-Saaffaat 37:88]

“And in the night-time, also
glorify His Praises, and at the setting of the stars [wa idbaar an-nujoom]”

[at-Toor 52:49]

“So I swear by Mawaqi (setting
or the mansions, etc.) of the stars [an-nujoom] (they traverse)”

[al-Waaqi‘ah 56:75]

“Then when the stars [an-nujoom]
lose their lights”

[al-Mursalaat 77:8]

“When the sun Kuwwirat (wound
round and lost its light and is overthrown)

And
when the stars [an-nujoom] shall
fall”

[at-Takweer 81:1-2]

“When the night covered him over with darkness he saw a star
[kawkab]. He said: ‘This is my lord.’ But when it set, he said: ‘I like not
those that set’”

[al-An‘aam 6:76]

“(Remember) when Yoosuf (Joseph) said to his father: ‘O my
father! Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars [kawkab] and the sun and the
moon, I saw them prostrating themselves to me’”

[Yoosuf 12:4]

“When the heaven is cleft asunder

And when the stars [al-kawaakib] have fallen and scattered”

[al-Infitaar 82:1,2].

Thus it readily becomes clear to the reader of the Holy Quran
that the Arabic language uses the word najm in a very comprehensive manner
to refer to all kinds of heavenly bodies.

We do not deny that there may be some differentiation between
the words najm and kawkab among some linguists, but the criterion for
differentiation is size or movement and other things, not the reason as
known in modern times, which is whether the body in question emits light by
itself or not.

Similarly, the fact that there is a differentiation does not,
under any circumstances whatsoever, mean that the words najm and kawkab
cannot be used to refer to moving heavenly bodies.

Al-‘Askari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Kawkab refers to big stars; the “kawkab” of a thing is most
of it.

Najm is a more general word that may refer to small or big
stars.

It may be said that the kawaakib are fixed heavenly bodies.

The word najm also refers to that which rises and sets.

Hence the astrologer is called munajjim in Arabic, because he
looks at those that rise and set, and he is not called mukawkib.

End quote from al-Furooq al-Lughawiyyah (p. 301)

We hope that this will easily and readily dispel the
questioner’s confusion.